✍️ The newsletter: Feedback for Conservators #11
The personal interview: 7 tips on how to nail it ✨
This newsletter project comes from the mentorship service Feedback for Conservators: a place to bring a little bit of professional feedback to help on subjects that I wish I knew more about, especially (but not only) at the start of my art conservator career. Topics discussed here are recurrent ones that I see over Zoom sessions! so I thought would be useful to address them in a short and more informal format. In between, shorter posts with a free digital tool will be discussed. New publications will be out twice a month, for a year.
And just as a reminder: this is not a perfect newsletter and doesn’t intend to, but rather a space to offer some help. Read past newsletters here. And as aaaalways, a disclamer1
A quick note from marta:
🤝 Today we continue with another guest author post2 on the topic of interviews written by a dear colleague, Elisa Baronti Marchió. Elisa is a paintings conservator trained at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Florence, Italy), where she graduated Cum Laude with a Master's thesis on a complex cleaning treatment3. Furthermore, she also holds a Bachelor’s in Art History (also Cum Laude) and currently she is completing her Master’s while she works as a private conservator in Spain. You can follow her here.
And why did I bring her for this post? She is a PRO on interviews, and let me tell you why: 1. Her Italian upbringing. For the non-familiar, in Italy, high school and university studies require you to take ALL the exams and test speaking, not writing. So that is quite a training! 2. She won the Iberdrola Conservation Fellowship at the Museo Nacional del Prado, Spain. As you can imagine, it is an extremely competitive opportunity. What you do not know is that of the three different fellowships offered related to conservation, she won all of them in the same year(!). And yes, the interview was a key element.
So, I hand now the torch to Elisa:
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The personal interview: 7 tips on how to nail it ✨ by Elisa Baronti Marchió
Job interviews are highly stressful situations because emotional components come into play, adding a lot of unpredictability to the event. The interview panel members are aware that the limited time available is not enough to assess the candidate's skills fully. Therefore, they will focus on gauging their attitude, personality, ability to handle pressure, and communication skills.
Normally, selection processes that include a personal interview are preceded by the evaluation of candidates' CVs. Only the most interesting CVs pass this filter. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that during the interview, the panel is generally favourably disposed towards the candidate because they found their profile intriguing. As a result, it is unlikely that the panel will adopt a hostile attitude or wants to make the interviewee uncomfortable (thinking about that comforts me when I am anxious about an interview!).
It is undoubtedly true that certain qualities, such as personality or educational background, can help in facing this challenge. But no need to panic! The good news is that it is possible to prepare for a successful interview through small adjustments. So, how can you prepare for an interview?
Some key tips
🤓 Familiarize yourself A LOT with the panel and the company you want to work for
If available, look for the names of the panel members and study their publications, academic backgrounds, and areas of interest to get a sense of who they are. If you are lucky, you might find videos on YouTube, Instagram, etc., where you can see them speak and observe their language style, personality and appearance. This way, you will feel more prepared for the interview, having visual cues that can help you envision the conversation. Show that you know about the company you are applying to, as it always leaves a great impression. Convey the feeling that working for that particular company represents a significant added value and strong motivation for you, not just one of ten blind applications. Hence, it is crucial to study the company's recent projects at least briefly and refer to them during the interview. For instance, you could say:
"I noticed in your latest restoration treatment at... you used this technique, and I found it very interesting because... I believe you managed to address an ethical challenge by...".
If the interview is for a scholarship/fellowship, make sure to know about the funding organization, which is often external.
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👔 Pay attention to your attire and appearance
The impression you create in the first few seconds is crucial. This doesn't necessarily mean that you must dress super formal or wear a suit and tie, but instead choose an outfit where you feel comfortable and that conveys a sense of order and cleanliness.
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🤝 Enter the interview room with a greeting, a thank you, and a smile
This advice may seem obvious, yet people often seem tense and anxious when they walk into an interview and forget about it. Being polite and smiling always leaves a positive impression, and the panel, seeing a friendlier and relaxed attitude, will respond kindly. Remember that the panel members are human beings just like us, and they react like everyone else to the atmosphere in the room. It's better to be proactive and create a polite and friendly atmosphere from the start.
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🙅🏽♀️ Mind your non-verbal language
Many panel members have shared stories of candidates sitting awkwardly in their chairs, arms crossing, and eyes lowered… Try to assume a composed and relaxed posture and make an effort to maintain eye contact with the panel members when you speak; these elements usually make a good impression. Caring for your non-verbal language can be challenging under stress, so I recommend recording yourself with your phone or looking at yourself in the mirror and simulating an interview. This way, you'll become quickly aware of your non-verbal cues and can intervene to correct them.
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🙋🏻♀️ Prepare at home some answers to common interview questions that are likely to be asked
Even if these questions don't come up, this exercise can still be reassuring as it gives the impression that you have prepared answers you can confidently share. Some frequently asked questions include:
"Why should we choose you for this position?"
"What do you think you can bring to our company?"
"Why are you interested in this position at our company?"
"How did you learn about this job opening, and what position are you aiming for?"
"What are your expectations for this job?"
"What salary do you expect to receive?"
"We see that you didn't work during this year; what happened?"
"We are interested in this aspect of your CV; could you talk more about it?"
"What do you think you could learn?"
"Which work experiences have been the most significant for you, and why?"
Try to respond directly and promptly to the questions, without avoiding the answer or going off-topic. At that point, don't just be passive in the interview! Try to expand the discussion and bring up topics that interest you, attempting to shape and influence the interview in your favour.
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🧐 Prepare for unexpected questions to step out of your comfort zone
As mentioned earlier, it's unlikely that the panel is genuinely interested in testing your knowledge in a 10-minute interview; they are more interested in evaluating your problem-solving, communication, and reasoning skills. Sometimes, they might throw unexpected questions at you, like:
"What is your favourite museum/painting, and why?"
"Have you visited any exhibitions recently? Did you like them? What would you improve?"
When faced with open-ended questions like these, it is essential not to show dismay but to demonstrate quick thinking and remember that there is no right or wrong answer. Instead, try to appear confident in your response.
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💪 Don't be disheartened by criticisms of your CV
If you receive criticisms about your CV, such as "We see you lack experience in this field", remember that what the panel is actually evaluating is your ability to take criticism positively and turn it in your favour. You could respond:
"It's true, and that's precisely why I'm very interested in this position. I have a strong desire to learn and expand my horizons..."
(remember that you have already passed the CV evaluation stage!)
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Good luck!
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That’s a wrap for today. More in two weeks, see you then?
As mentioned, this newsletter supports the mentorship service Feedback For Conservators (here are some testimonials). Also, as part of it, I offer limited Pro-Bono sessions for those colleagues or students who can not afford them. If you’re interested in any of both just email me, promise I do not bite 🤓.
Please do not share extracts of this newsletter without Elisa’s consent.
Guest post are welcome! Contact if you want to share your advice/free tool discovery.
BARONTI MARCHIÓ, E., Il restauro di un dipinto pulito con mezzi alcalini: la Madonna con Bambino e San Giovannino attribuito alla Bottega del Ghirlandaio. Metodologia d’intervento e proposta di integrazione pittorica (= The restoration of a painting previously cleaned using alkaline methods: The Madonna with Child and Saint John the Baptist attributed to the Workshop of Ghirlandaio. Intervention methodology and inpainting proposal), Master Thesis in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Opificio delle Pietre Dure - SAFS, Florence, Italy, 2021, pp.259 (not published).
To contact Elisa, please email: e.baronti.marchio@gmail.com